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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25494412">The Reveal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayTh3Great/pseuds/KayTh3Great'>KayTh3Great</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Beetlebug [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Invader Zim, Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beetlebug, Dib - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug AU, Reveal, Reveal Fic, ZADE, ZADF, Zim - Freeform, beetlebug au, homies are sad, invader zim - Freeform, invaderzim au, neko blecko, this was written months ago lmfao, yes i wrote a reveal fic before writing how they got the miraculous</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:36:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,192</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25494412</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayTh3Great/pseuds/KayTh3Great</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neko Blecko and Beetlebug have decided that after a year of fighting Rhopalocera and getting nowhere, that it's time to reveal their identities to eachother.</p><p>After finding out who his partner is, though, Beetlebug has doubts. Neko knows Bug wasn't the best person under that helmet, but he promised him that no matter who he is that he was important to him.</p><p>Will he actually follow through with that promise once he knows, though?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dib &amp; Zim (Invader Zim)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Beetlebug [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846846</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Reveal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>          Beetlebug and Neko Blecko were on top of the skool and looking out on the surrounding neighbourhoods. It was around midnight, and in the last year of them being heroes they'd taken to just hanging out on random buildings most nights. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's really been a year, huh?", Neko asked, staring into the distance. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beetlebug leaned back onto his palms, "As of Saturday." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Neko laughed at Bug's response. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's weird how much we know about eachother without <strong>actuallly</strong> knowing eachother." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Friends know things about eachother, right?"  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Neko walked over and sat down next to Bug on the edge of the roof. "Yeah." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He paused for a second, both of them sitting comfortably in the silence of the night. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I've been thinking,", Neko began, causing Beetlebug to look at him, "maybe we could meet eachother out of the costumes. How cool would it be for us to just hang out in the middle of the day and like, play some videogames or something?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beetlebug tensed at the mention of a reveal. Tikki had told Zim that it was up to him and Neko, but he really didn't know what he wanted. On one hand, he would love to know who Neko was and spend time with him more than anything. But, even now after changing as much as he had, he didn't think he deserved that. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"As much as I would enjoy knowing who you are, I am still hesitant for you to know me. I'm not-" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"'Not the best person under the miraculous', I know. But you've changed from how you used to be. I don't have to know you to see that.", Neko bumped his knee against Bug's, "I promise, no matter who you are under that helmet, you're important to me." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beetlebug looked out at their surroundings again. "Do you have a plan for how we can do this... reveal?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"There's a basically abandoned section of the city that I've only ever seen someone else enter like once, and they were following me.", Neko got out his staff, using it to send the coodinates of where he was talking about to Beetlebug, "Sunset on Saturday, when it's officially been a year, we meet there and release our transformations." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beetlebug was silent for a moment. "And what if you dislike who you see beneath this helmet?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I promise that won't be the case. Just because you did bad stuff in the past doesn't mean you're still bad. I don't know all of the details still, but you're a good person." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beetlebug didn't respond, thinking for a while. After about ten minutes, he finally looked at Neko, still unsure but also ready to know who his best and only friend was. "Alright, I agree to this." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Neko smiled and stood, offering Bug a hand, "Great! Now I think we should head home for the night, there's skool tomorrow." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beetlebug grabbed his hand, allowing himself to be pulled up. "Right."</em>
</p><p>          Now that it was actually Saturday, the whole reveal was going to be easier said than done. Zim was extremely nervous about how Neko would react to seeing some green freak in the place of his partner. Tikki had told him that it was going to be ok countless times in the days leading up to it, but he still couldn't help but worry.</p><p>He'd made his way to the location Neko had suggested, and sure enough his partner was already there waiting for him.</p><p>"Bug! I was worried you wouldn't show up."</p><p>Beetlebug scoffed, his voice quivering slightly, "If I had changed my mind, I would have called you to inform you."</p><p>Neko chuckled a bit and gave Bug a comforting smile. "You're still nervous about this."</p><p>"And you <em>aren't</em>?"</p><p>"No, I'm not, because I finally get to see who my best friend is."</p><p>Beetlebug blushed slightly under his helmet and looked to the side. "I suppose that's a good point. And you're sure there isn't anyone else in the area?"</p><p>Neko nodded. "One hundred percent certain."</p><p>They were standing in a dank alleyway in an abandoned part of town, surrounded by old piles of trash and glass from broken windows.</p><p>"Not exactly the classiest place to do this.", Bug said, looking around.</p><p>"Yeah, but aside from our houses I couldn't think of a better place, and doing it at home would ruin the surprise of it."</p><p>They just stood there, neither sure how to proceed.</p><p>Neko sighed. "I guess we should do this, huh?"</p><p>Beetlebug grabbed his arm and looked to the side, not responding to his partner.</p><p>Neko looked at him again, knowing that Bug still wasn't sure about this. "How about instead of doing it together, I go first?"</p><p>"I don't-"</p><p>"Claws in."</p><p>Neko's transformation dropped, leaving Dib standing in his place.</p><p>Beetlebug took a shocked step back before letting out a choked chuckle.</p><p>"No, not-", Bug cut himself off as he took another step back, "If I wasn't sure of it before, now I'm certain. You will <em>not</em> understand."</p><p>"Bug, what are you talking about?"</p><p>Beetlebug silently shook his head, still panicking as he turned and prepared to leave.</p><p>"Wait, Bug! Talk to me!"</p><p>"I'm sorry, Dib."</p><p>"I promised that no matter who you are, I'll still be here for you and I mean it."</p><p>Beetlebug was standing there with his back to him, shaking. "You would retract that statement if you knew. You're important to me, I can't have 'Beetlebug' be added to your list of enemies as well.", he shrunk in onto himself a bit, having to force himself to stay together, "I wouldn't be able to handle it."</p><p>"Bug..." </p><p>          Beetlebug unhooked his yoyo from his hip, latching it onto a nearby building. "I apologize for this, but I guess I'm just too immature to know how to handle this situation right now."</p><p>Just before he could swing away, Dib ran up and grabbed his arm. "Wait, please I promise-"</p><p>"No, you have ansolutely no idea what you're promising."</p><p>"Please just-"</p><p>"I'm sorry, Dib."</p><p>Dib paused for a second, his grip tightening.</p><p>"<em>Zim</em>, please."</p><p>Beetlebug's entire body tensed when he heard Dib say his name. His <em>actual</em> name. He cautioned a glance back at the human.</p><p>Dib had a concearned look on his face as his grip remained firm on the hero's arm.</p><p>"<em>What did you just say</em>?", Bug asked, his voice a whisper.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I know I should have told you I knew first, but Plagg though it would be better for you to tell me yourself."</p><p>Beetlebug looked ahead of him again, still tense and panicked, his mind racing. "How long-"</p><p>"I found out after our last battle, you landed on the same roof as me and I couldn't look away in time. I'll be honest, I didn't believe it at first. Apearrantly the kwamis have known since the beginning."</p><p><em>Dib had known his identity already when he suggested the reveal</em>.</p><p>He knew that Zim was Beetlebug and yet he'd still wanted to reveal himself to him. Bug retracted his yoyo and carefully removed Dib's hand from his arm.</p><p>"You <em>knew</em>, and yet you still had me come here under the pretense that I had a <em>choice</em> in this."</p><p>Dib smiled a bit at him, "B-Zim, I know how stubborn you can be. We've been working together for a year now."</p><p>"You didn't know it was me in that time."</p><p>"No, but that doesn't matter now."</p><p>"Why didn't you try to retreive the earrings once you knew it was me?" Bug turned to face him again.</p><p>"Well, if I'd known at the beginning, I would have.", Dib shook his head and looked him in the eye," But not now. You're not-"</p><p>"Not <em>what</em>, Dib? Not an evil alien freak that come to destroy your planet? Not some irredeemable monster that's cause you and others harm countless times?", Bug was raising his voice as he continued, "Tell Zim what you don't think he is. Tell me what you think of me, because it's wrong."</p><p>Dib recoiled in surprise at Beetlebug's outburst of anger, flinching as he heard Zim talk about himself like that.</p><p>"Just because I do good things does not mean I deserve redemption. That's something both you and Tikki do not understand. I am not a good person, I do not deserve your kindness, your empathy, your pity."</p><p>He pulled back out of Dib's grip, crying at this point and shouting at the human. "The fact that you even decided to give Zim a chance, knowing that I'm the one with these earrings is wrong. I do not deserve this, I did not deserve a chance at happiness, and it was foolish of me to hope for it."</p><p>          Dib just stood there while Beetlebug shouted at him. He'd known that Zim was stubborn, both as Bug and himself, but he had no idea he thought of himself like that.</p><p><em>Like a monster</em>.</p><p>When Dib had seen Beetlebug detransform into the alien that he'd been enemies with for years, he couldn't believe it. He didn't <em>want</em> to. Appearantly Plagg had known the whole time, but Tikki had told him to keep quiet about it.</p><p>Dib had stayed up for a few days just thinking about this, avoiding the alien both in and out of the suit. At first, he'd just considered taking the earrings back and being done with it, but the more he thought about it the more he realized that that wasn't right.</p><p>Beetlebug had told him about how he "wasn't a good person" outside being a hero, and how hard he was trying. They were close, and he'd seen Bug cry more times than he'd like.</p><p>He'd seen <em>Zim</em> cry more than he'd like.</p><p>It took him longer than he'd want to admit to to actually think of Beetlebug and Zim as the same person and once that finally, properly clicked in his head, other things started to make sense as well.</p><p>How Bug had told him about some 'stupid boy' he used to be enemies with that wouldn't leave him alone. How Bug had given up on some big 'mission' and was trying to just be a good person, when he'd started avoiding him. How he'd been trying to do better but this one person that he held up on some weird pedistal only ever berated and belittled any efforts he made, sometimes even sabotaging him.</p><p>Dib had felt a large amount of guilt build up in his chest when he realized that <em>he</em> was the one who had made his best friend cry.</p><p>That <em>Zim</em> was actually his best friend.</p><p>Now, seeing Zim have a breakdown in this disgusting, dirty alleyway, Dib felt the guilt swell up again.</p><p>Beetlebug was waiting for an answer of some kind from him. "Well?!"</p><p>"You're wrong."</p><p>"No, I'm no-!"</p><p>"Yes, you are!" Dib took a step closer to him. "You aren't some kind of irredeemable monster! It took me a while to get it, but you aren't just some evil freak, you're a person. Maybe not human, but you still have feelings."</p><p>Bug was trembling, still crying under his helmet.</p><p>Dib took another step closer and put his hand on Beetleug's arm. "People change. Yours <em>is</em> for the better."</p><p>"Spots off." </p><p>          Zim detransformed and looked Dib in the eye, his cheeks stained with tears and confused anger in his eyes.</p><p>"Can you still say that, looking at me like this? Looking at <em>Zim</em>, who has tried to kill you, harmed you more times than can be counted? Who almost destroyed your planet several times, one of those attempts almost successful, just to please some stupid, tall idiots who just wanted him gone?!", Zim angrilly removed his contact lenses and wig, throwing them to the ground as he extended his pak legs, "Can you look into the eyes of an inhuman <em>beast</em> and tell me that I'm anything other than what you've been calling me for years? A monster? A <em>freak</em>?!"</p><p>Zim was huffing, still crying as he looked at Dib.</p><p>The human had a determined expression on his face as he looked Zim directly in the eye.</p><p>"You are <em>not</em> a freak. You aren't a monster.", Dib stepped closer again, "You're a hero that's saved more people than I can count. You inspire everyone every day. You inspire <em>me</em>."</p><p>With every step Dib took towards him, Zim took an equally spaced step back. "It doesn't matter what you did, it matters what you do. And what you do is give people the stregnth to keep going when the world is falling apart around them. You fight <em>monsters</em> on a near weekly basis, you aren't one."</p><p>Zim tripped over a downed trashcan, falling backwards onto his butt as Dib continued to walk closer to him.</p><p>"You're the most important person in my life, and I'm not going to let what you did in the past ruin what you've done for other people. What you've done for me."</p><p>He extened a hand to Zim, who was looking up at him from the ground. "Now let's go play some videogames or something."</p><p>Zim looked at his hand, finally breaking down and sobbing as he grabbed it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i wrote this around the same time as the akumatized dib fic lol, we out here vibin today bro</p><p>also probably gonna update iwac tonight, but if you want more of this au please let me know! i'd be happy to work on it if people want it :&gt;</p></blockquote></div></div>
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